WTF: Drain cover snapped but not solved, Bali escape costs businessman
In this week’s WTF we focus our attention on a Bellarine drain cover that has already claimed a victim or two, while a Bali escape cost one local businessman $1500 – but no conviction.
An Ocean Grove child’s stroll to school took a dramatic turn when he stepped onto a drain cover that promptly flipped, sending him tumbling into the hole and wedging his leg.
After his screaming attracted attention, his mother wrestled with the heavy concrete lid and extracted her limping child – who was dutifully sent to school anyway.
Geelong council was contacted immediately via phone, email, and provided photographic evidence.
To their credit, someone appeared that very day.
Their solution? Pop the lid back on.
Despite acknowledging it’s located on a bend of a court, near a car park where it’s routinely knocked by vehicles, apparently that’s job done.
Two weeks later: radio silence.
Amid the silence, the family’s man of the house nearly joined the drain’s victim list when the lid again dislodged.
Given the vicinity of a school that is regularly frequented by grandparents and small children, WTF wonders if perhaps someone needs to actually snap their leg before it’s fixed properly.
The story harks back to one published in this very column just two weeks ago – continue to watch your step Pivotonians.
INDO ESCAPE
The boss of a Geelong construction company left a magistrate “flabbergasted” after he failed to nominate a driver in a minor fender bender.
Now, we’ve learnt that Bali is to blame.
In August last year, a work truck belonging to the man’s company hit a parked vehicle.
The 65-year-old initially told police over the phone it would have been “one of two drivers”, but soon after he stopped responding to police inquiries.
Officers chased a response for 10 months – they called, left messages, emailed and sent letters until, finally, they charged him over his failure to nominate a driver.
His lawyer told the court that after the initial phone call, the man boarded a flight to Indonesia.
The court heard his wife was Indonesian and the couple run two businesses in Bali.
“It’s a significant period of time … the only mitigating factor was that he spent time overseas,” his lawyer said, noting his client’s clean record.
“He is well aware now just how serious this offence is …. he simply did not have his affairs in order, and (he accepts) it’s not good enough.”
The magistrate who heard the case said it “beggars belief” that the man wasn’t able to respond in a timely manner, and the police had better things to do than chase him.
“(I’m) flabbergasted, is the only way I can describe it,” the magistrate said.
The man was fined $1500 without conviction.
ABOVE OUR HEADS
The malfunctioning of a lift at the Geelong courthouse recently left some of those appearing in court literally watching their own appearance.
The custody lift was out of action on November 20, meaning those in the holding cells below Geelong police station were forced to appear via videolink at the courthouse metres above their heads,
This was because the out of action lift meant custody officers were unable to bring alleged law-breakers up to appear in the dock in person.
While videolinks from custody are increasingly common, defendants faced the unusual prospect of squeezing into the tiny videolink rooms in the holding cells below the very court they were appearing in.
WTF was reliably told that the issue affected proceedings for just a day or two.
“No court hearings were impacted during this period, with court users in custody appearing via video link,” a spokeswoman said.
“Lifts in the public area continue to function as usual.”
While hearings were not impacted, at least one accused – who was feasibly not in the best state of mind – was seen to punch a wall while appearing on the videolink from the cells.
Perhaps a few less trips in the lift was a blessing in disguise for the court’s hardworking custody officers.
CITY CRAWL
Having your car break down is never ideal, but it happening near one of Geelong’s busiest intersections just rubs salt into the wound.
An unlikely traffic jam occurred in Geelong’s CBD just before midday on Sunday.
A black sedan appeared to be parked on Malop St, near the Moorabool St intersection, with its doors open and hazard lights flashing.
A line of cars banked up all the way to Yarra St, and police were quickly on scene to help get traffic moving.
Onlookers, including one WTF spy, watched with great interest when they saw flashing lights, given some less than savoury events that have happened in the CBD in recent months.
But it turned out the car had just broken down in an incredibly inconvenient spot.
Kudos to the driver, who attempted to push the car away from the scene.
The jam was resolved and Christmas shopping could resume as planned.
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Originally published as WTF: Drain cover snapped but not solved, Bali escape costs businessman
